My newest single is almost here!

But .... the overall message is about Hope. (chorus lyrics forthcoming ;)

For me

Hope is about recognizing the possibility that the darkness will pass.

It’s about staying open to the possibility that there is a light shining on the other side of our grief, our pain, our fear, our sadness.

I think it’s human to have moments when we feel bereft - sometimes it’s a situation or a mood. and sometimes it’s the emotions of a depression that we can’t define. These moments can be overwhelming. One of my messages in this song is to help people to realize they are not alone in these moments of struggle, as well as a reminder that there is light shining somewhere in the darkness even if we can’t see it yet.

Like the seasons or the transition from day to dusk to dawn, I think it’s important to remember that darker moments are a natural part of life. We can't always live in a place where the sun is shining. But oftentimes I see people and I feel myself pushing away the weight because we fear that it’s not OK to feel too dark.

Perhaps the darkness is there to tell us that there is something that needs to be attended to.

Perhaps the darkness is there to remind us of the light.

I think it’s OK if we allow ourselves to temporarily embrace it and listen….

And give ourselves permission to feel the emotions that we are feeling.

It’s ok to sometimes feel those deeper emotions. I don’t think we can truly live without them. When we push them away or judge ourselves for having them, it’s like we are blaming our soul for its emotions.

I think acceptance here is important. We should have permission within and around us to not feel like little miss/mr sunshine ALL the TIME and to learn to accept how we feel in every moment.

Shine Again is about being in those moments and keeping the hope that there is a light shining beyond the darkness…. (more on that next time ;)

Til Then

Stay Bright

Stay Bold

Stay Beautiful

Love You,

Meredith

P.S. I would like to add caveat here …. Some of us have moments when the gloom persists aka a clinical depression. I’ve been there. I think it’s imperative to recognize the difference between a moment versus when it starts to effect our quality of life for a long term. When that happens, it’s ok to look for the light outside ourselves and seek help in a trusted professional. Once again it’s about acceptance as well as taking the steps we need to process and heal.